Monday, September 19, 2011

Clueless

It's no secret that I'm typically behind the times in trendy technological developments.  I just got my first iPod last Christmas; I didn't join facebook for an internet eternity, and then waiting a year to actually use it; I didn't even know what a blog was when all of my friends started reading and writing them; I finally gave up using floppy disks in 2006; and I didn't have a cell phone in high school and didn't start texting till, well, that's embarrassing to say. 

Even though I'm generally behind the times, I eventually figure things out and catch up.  But I have to admit that there's one trend I just can't figure out.  What the heck do @ and # mean?!?  So I get that you put @ before a person's name in facebook or a blog comment to signal you're responding to that particular person.  However, I don't see why this is at all necessary.  So I don't do it.  Call me old fashioned.  But the lack of # in my facebook statuses is not a statement (although I don't ever see myself using it), it's a complete lack of understanding.  I don't get it.  I can't figure it out.  I need someone to explain it to me.  Help!  I must be getting old.

6 comments:

Hilary said...

I've never understood that either. I think those trends started with Twitter, but I'm not sure.

Mary said...

When you get it can you clue me in! Thanks!

Ashley said...

I think it has something to do with Twitter, like a topic tag or something, but I don't really know.

Chess said...

Well, you got the @ part right. FB has changed it so you can actually include the person's name and link to their profile when you type their name.

I had to ask about the # too when I joined Twitter. It signals a hashtag, or, basically, a topic. It creates a link, and if you click on it (say it was #beingamom), then it takes you to all the tweets that were labeled #beingamom, written by people who are tweeting about the adventures of mothering. So it creates a network of similar Tweets, if that makes sense.

You're not old, you just have way more important things to worry about than social networking, haha. I'm very much single, offspring-less, graduated, and BORED.

Chastina said...

I'm with you. I finally figured out the @ thing but I've never heard about the # thing. Thanks Chess for letting us non-Twitterers know what it's for.

Kayce said...

Chess- Thanks so much for filling me in! Have fun tweeting =)

Everyone else- I'm so glad I'm not the only one who didn't get it!